1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deceptive
False or deceptive votes and/or acts will render the respective Finalist ineligible.
—
CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Barrera plays Michelle, a deceptive character who will keep everyone guessing.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Visually deceptive treats such as miniature cookies in the shape of wild mushrooms, a single black leather shoe, an unfinished cigar and seafood offer witty pairing with the tea tasting experience.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
The shuttering of the agency that enforces laws against anticompetitive and deceptive business behavior is one small part of the national gridlock that began on Wednesday and could result in the furlough of 750,000 federal workers and delay air travel.
—Reuters, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Barrera plays Michelle, a deceptive character who will keep everyone guessing.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Visually deceptive treats such as miniature cookies in the shape of wild mushrooms, a single black leather shoe, an unfinished cigar and seafood offer witty pairing with the tea tasting experience.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
The shuttering of the agency that enforces laws against anticompetitive and deceptive business behavior is one small part of the national gridlock that began on Wednesday and could result in the furlough of 750,000 federal workers and delay air travel.
—Reuters, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
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He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, including COVID-19 misinformation and promoting conspiracy theories, and affirming antisemitic, racist, and transphobic comments.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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Murphy said that’s misleading because many incidents never make it into official statistics.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Andrew Wheatley, minister without portfolio in the prime minister’s office, said the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team has identified more than two dozen fraudulent hurricane relief websites attempting to divert contributions and donations from legitimate sources.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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Following a 2023 trial, a Florida jury found the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital liable for false imprisonment, battery, fraudulent billing, wrongful death and intentional infliction of emotional distress — allegations by Kowalski's family that were documented in the Netflix documentary.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Several residents who work in the Georgia King Village area weighed in on the incident, including Harriette Guity, who told News12 that false reports based on AI could stretch first responders thin.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Archaeologists concluded the structure was actually a false tomb, or a cenotaph, a type of burial monument erected to honor a deceased person buried elsewhere.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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An ambitious provocation, the book calls for a single-party system of government that ostensibly gives power back to the people (even if it’s been published by a shady corporation with its own interests in mind).—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
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Kue Lawrence delivers a chilling performance for the ages as Samuel Miller, a seventh-grade student recruited by a shady mentor (Michael Sean Tighe) to compete in the bloody contests.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Matthiessen, not without reason, portrays the Bureau as paranoid, dishonest, and in league with corporate interests.—
Maggie Doherty,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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For that incredibly dishonest assessment that actually did a disservice to the country, Obama is held up to widespread praise by Democrats and others, even winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After a disastrous attempt at bedding Minde’s ex-girlfriend Edita (Vaidilė Juozaitytė), our flat-top sporting hero with a crooked smile meets Monika (Digna Kulionytė), an ambitious, studious beauty from the middle-class area of town.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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Another crooked number against the Dodgers’ bullpen in the seventh inning cemented a 6-2 Game 4 victory that evened the World Series at two games apiece.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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